Fiji Prime Minister responds to Flying Fijians' poor start to Nations Championship

Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has defended the appointment of interim Flying Fijians head coach Senirusi Seruvakula and insists two games is too soon to deliver a verdict on his leadership of the squad that has suffered losses to Wales and England.

Seruvakula replaced former head coach Mick Byrne and Rabuka told Fiji media he had always supported the idea of a local coach to lead the Flying Fijians.

“We should give the process time,” said Rabuka, the former Flying Fijians player. “Let’s see whether the argument that a local coach better understands the players, and the players better understand the coach, proves correct.

“Two Test matches are not enough to judge whether the appointment has been successful. I have always supported having a local coach who understands the nature and psyche of Fijian players.”

The Flying Fijians have reached the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals under local coaches – Ratu Josateki Sovau (1987), Ilivasi Tabua (2007) and Simon Raiwalui (2023).

Rabuka said he was disappointed by the Flying Fijians’ failure to capitalise on key opportunities during the recent Test match defeats to Wales 39-24 and the heavy 73-8 loss to England last weekend, with the team now preparing to face Scotland at Murrayfield.

“There were too many missed opportunities in both matches. I hope those lessons will form part of the team’s preparations going forward,” he added.

The one positive to come out of the 50,000 crowd who witnessed the England loss at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool is the news that the money generated will be used to make the first payment on the construction of Fiji Rugby Union’s state-of-the-art stadium in Saweni, Lautoka.

FRU board chairman John Sanday told local media: “The surplus from the England game will pay for the premium on the land we are acquiring at Saweni. We will share the revenue with our member unions to alleviate their financial struggles in the provincial competitions.

“We also plan to clear out all the existing debts of Fiji Rugby. So from that end, it has been a commercial and financial success.”